When you choose to do what “they” said couldn’t be done, there’s a fair amount of fear and trepidation involved. Over five years ago, I began a conversation with the founders of Joule Case to see if they could help me run my coffee truck on battery power. We ran tests to measure power usage while running my equipment, and they estimated what would be required. Eventually, we settled on a system that could support at least eight hours of heavy use. We worked on pricing to make it a viable option and finally said, “Let’s make it happen.”

Before committing to removing the 12K generator and replacing it with the new battery system, I even had them set up the batteries on the sidewalk and run power through my shore line just to confirm everything would work as promised.

Looking back now, after using a Joule Case battery system for over four years—I can say with full confidence that I would never go back to using a generator. It’s not just the lack of noise (which is amazing), the reliability (which has been reassuring), or even the relief of no longer having to change oil every 100–200 hours. It’s all of that and some.

To better understand the financial impact of going battery-powered, I reviewed the previous years of operating with a generator and extrapolated what those costs would have been compared to the actual costs of the battery system. Here’s a breakdown:

Over the past four years, the numbers clearly show that the return on investment has swung in favor of the battery system. My operating costs have dropped significantly. However, there’s another benefit that’s harder to quantify and even harder to promise to others: the new business that comes from running a quiet, clean system.

For my business, the biggest impact hasn’t just been the cost savings—it’s been increased sales opportunities. One key relationship that changed our bottom line was with our local Botanical Garden. While they continue to allow generator-powered food trucks, they’ve chosen to feature us front and center at their premier fundraising event, Winter Garden A-Glow, because of our silent operation and self-sufficient power setup. As a result, we’ve generated over $100,000 in sales at their events over the past four years.

Four years in, the Joule Case battery system has made a major difference for my business, and I’m proud to share that story. Today, I continue to run my coffee truck, Slow River Coffee, and also work part-time with Joule Case to help other mobile businesses embrace what’s possible with battery power.